encorenews from Ohio State Theatre A scene from OSU Theatre’s production of The Trojan Women 2.0. Distinguished Guest Professional mime Ph.D. Student Jason Alumna Kim Turney Guest Artist Lenelle Artist Sydney Poitier Gregg Goldston teaches Bush presents teaches two stage Moise performs Womb- inspires the department two movement classes. “Translating Danza combat classes. Words, Thirsting. with anecdotes from his de las Tijeras: The fascinating career. Contemporary Transnational Scene” at the Urban Party Mix in the Roy Bowen Theatre. department of theatre college of the arts encore 2008 1 Dear Friends: Most of the time I spend in my office is spent “looking ahead.” Whether it is preparing for my next appointment, problem solving our next production, working on details for our next partnership, or planning the next unique opportunity that we can provide the students in our program. The annual publication of Encore is one of the few times that I get a chance to look back and celebrate the many and varied accomplishments of our students, staff, faculty, and alumni. I hope that you too enjoy this review of our past year. The breadth and depth of our season once again served our ambitious artistic and educational goals by enabling over 300 students to participate in the making of theatre and audiences numbering over 7000 to attend our shows. Our commitment to new works was realized through a theatre-in-the-round experience set up on the Thurber stage for an evening of three short plays. Our second year graduate ensemble production of Wild Stages: Kabarett MFA! was a successful building block in our three-year curricular focus on performer generated new work and community outreach. Charles Mee’s The Trojan Women 2.0, Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Caridad Svich’s The Labyrinth of Desire, and Working: A Musical rounded out the year. We celebrated the return of several alumni as guest artists including Meridee Stein, Annie O. Cleveland, Denis Freeh, Richard Farshler, and Kim Turney. In addition to their visits, we hosted solo artists Daniel Beaty and Lenelle Moïse, Broadway lighting designer Beverly Emmons, CEC Mark Shanda, Chair/Professor ArtsLink Fellow Sofyia Ryabchuck, mime virtuoso Gregg Goldston, and Mr. Sydney Poitier. Each guest enriched our lives by sharing their talents, passion, and insights with all they encountered. What enhances so many of these great educational opportunities for our students is the support that we receive from our friends and alumni. Although university budgets have been holding steady, costs have risen greatly and the demands on our limited resources never seem to let up. As you go through this Encore, consider the impact that each event detailed has had on our students and think about sending some money our way. What could your donation make possible for next year? As you know, all of us in theatre really know how to stretch a dollar, and I can assure you that whatever the size of gift that you might be able to send our way will go a long, long way. One final note, a significant department change happened with the retirement of Sonja Kalamas-Elder after 36 years of fine service to the university. We certainly continue to move forward, but a day hardly goes by where we don’t discover some aspect of our operation that wasn’t affected by Sonja. Her care for students is legendary, the void that she left significant, and we all wish her well in this new chapter in her life called retirement! Enjoy reading about our exploits and please be in touch, Mark Shanda Chair/Professor 2 encore 2008 OSU Theatre 2008 – 2009 Season p a g e 2Letter from the Chair 4 2007–08 Season in Review Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales 6Guest Artists and Scholars by E. Patrick Johnson October 3 8Outreach and Engagement 9TRI Report Noises Off By Michael Frayn 12 Spotlight on Students October 30 – November 9 15 End Of Year Celebration & Awards Pangea 17 Regional Campus Reports By Stephen R. Culp November 13 – 23 19 Faculty and Staff Updates Just Like Us 23 Alumni and Friends By Craig Sodaro 27 Just For Laughs February 6 – 8 28 Midnight Robbers: The Artists of Notting Hill Carnival M.F.A. Outreach and Engagement Project By the M.F.A. Acting Class of 2009 29 Sonja Kalamas-Elder Retirement / The Colored Museum February 19 – March 1 30 Buckeye TV / North Goes to Chicago Machinal 31 Remembrances of Marcel Marceau by Sophie Treadwell February 26 – March 6 32 Research in Germany / Student International Opportunities 33 London Theatre Program 2008 Godspell Conceived and Originally Directed by 34 Some Final Words John-Michael Tebelak Music and New Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Originally Produced on the New York Stage by Edgar Lansbury / Stuart Duncan / Joseph Beruh encore April 16 – 19 is the annual newsletter of The Ohio State University Student New Works Department of Theatre M.F.A. Actors 1089 Drake Center May 8 – 16 1849 Cannon Drive Columbus, Ohio 43210-1208 B.A. Actors Office: 614-292-5821 May 28 – 31 Fax: 614-292-3222 Editor-in-Chief: Design/Layout: Mark Shanda Derek Higaki Editor: Written and researched by the Faculty, Wild Stages: Kabarett MFA! Damian Bowerman Staff and Students of the Department of Theatre. “...cheeky, smart and, in its own unstuffy Contributors: Diana Bae, Joe Brandesky, way, educational. It may be everything Raymond Caldwell, ChuYoung Chon, All Alumni and Friends information that serious theater in a university setting Nena Couch, Joseph Fahey, Lesley Ferris, is collected from Alumni, Friends, Dave Fisher, Denis Freeh, Russell Hainline, and other readers; gathered and should be: at once a vital history lesson, Charmel Joiner, Jordan Kardasz, Virginia processed at the Department of Theatre; a timeless political statement and a Logan, Eric Mayer, Robin Post, Christina researched, edited, and placed either thoroughly entrancing performance.” Ritter, Jeanine Thompson, David Williams in our encore publication or the Alumni page of encore on our website: - Jay Weitz, Columbus Alive theatre.osu.edu encore 2008 3 2007–2008 season in review The Trojan Women 2.0 The Labyrinth of Desire by Charles Mee. Roy Bowen Theatre. By Caridad Svich. Roy Bowen Theatre. Directed by Maureen Ryan and Jeanine Directed by Jimmy Bohr. Set Design Thompson. Set Design by Matthew D. by Victor E. Shonk. Costume Design McCarren. Costume Design by Lindsay by Lydia Fleck. Lighting Design by Simon. Lighting Design by Anthony Matt Hazard. Sound Design by Eric Pellecchia. Sound Design by David M. Slezak. Stage Manager Sarah Toro. Stage Manager Becky Hitt. Helgesen. November 1 – 17, 2007 February 14 – March 1, 2008 Medea Much Ado About Nothing By Christopher Durang and Wendy By William Shakespeare. Thurber 1 Wasserstein. Thurber Theatre. Directed Theatre. Directed by Mandy Fox. Set by Beth Kattelman. Set Design by Design by Corinne Porter. Costume Greg Owen. Costume Design by Katie Design by Crystal Herman. Lighting Dysard. Lighting Design by Greg Owen. Design by Gregory Owen. Sound Design Sound Design by James Knapp. Stage by Brandon Massay and Adrianne Manager Jennifer Kramer. Varwig. Stage Manager Laura Hum. November 8 –19, 2007 February 21 – March 1, 2008 This year the following individuals shared their knowledge and insights at our post- English Therapy Wild Stages: Kabarett MFA! performance discussions. By Nancy Gall-Clayton. Thurber By The M.F.A. Acting Class of 2009. Theatre. Directed by Nicholas Dekker. Roy Bowen Theatre. Directed by John Much Ado About Nothing Set Design by Greg Owen. Costume Giffin. Set Design by Ellinore Loomis. Richard Dutton, Professor, OSU Department Design by Corinne Porter. Lighting Costume Design by Elisa O’Neal. of English Design by Matt Hazard. Sound Design Lighting Design by Jordan Kardasz. by James Knapp. Stage Manager Sound Design by Adrianne Varwig. Wild Stages: Kabarett MFA! Jennifer Kramer. Stage Manager Jennifer Kramer. Matthew Yde, Dramaturg and Ph.D. Theatre Student November 8 – 19, 2007 May 1 – 17, 2008 Working: A Musical Working: A Musical Laura Baggs, Dramaturg and Honors B.A. Vendetta Chrome From book by Studs Terkel. Adapted Theatre Student By Sally Oswald. Thurber Theatre. by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso. Directed by Christina Ritter. Set Design Songs by Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, by Greg Owen. Costume Design by Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead, Sarah Sugarbaker. Lighting Design Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor. by Jordan Kardasz. Sound Design by Dance Music by Michele Brourman. James Knapp. Stage Manager Laura Original production directed by Jack. Stephen Schwartz. Thurber Theatre. November 8 – 19, 2007 Directed by Christopher M. Roche. Set Design by Sarah Sugarbaker. Costume The Labyrinth of Desire The Three Bully Goats Griff Design by Annie O. Cleveland. Lighting “What sustains one’s interest By Patrick Rainville Dorn. Mount Hall Design by Matthew D. McCarren. are the antic movements, Studio Theatre. Directed by Johamy Sound Design by Christopher Zinkon. seductive postures and Morales. Set Design by Lindsay Beery. Stage Manager Lindsay Beery. bawdy gestures that generate Costume Design by Marysha Sarris. May 15 – 23, 2008 laughter beyond the dialogue. Lighting Design by Eric M. Slezak. The striking design helps, Sound Design by James Knapp. Stage too. The Mediterranean spa Manager Liz Tufts. setting morphs into the title’s February 1 – 3, 2008 labyrinth with artful lighting.” - Michael Grossberg, The Columbus Dispatch 4 encore 2008 2 3 5 6 4 9 7 8 PHOTOS 1 Medea 6 Vendetta Chrome 2 English Therapy 7 Wild Stages: Kabarett MFA! 3 Working: A Musical 8 The Labyrinth of Desire 4 The Three Bully Goats Griff 9 The Trojan Women 2.0 5 Much Ado About Nothing encore 2008 5 By Virginia Logan (M.F.A. Acting Student) Former Thurber House playwright-in- Sofiya Ryabchuck, a 2007 CEC ArtsLink Daniel Beaty in a residence Sally Oswald returned to Fellow, and the project manager for the scene from his one- campus in the fall to further develop her Theatre Center of Kyiv Mohyla Academy man show, new play Vendetta Chrome, performed in National University in Kiev, Ukraine was Emergence-SEE! the Evening of One Act Plays November with the Department of Theatre for five 8 -19th in Thurber Theatre.